A Russian association of so-called business patriots, Avanti, has called on parliament to introduce amendments barring individuals designated as foreign agents and their family members from running in elections at all levels, in a bid to prevent the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny from repeating the "Belarusian scenario."
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th February, 2021) A Russian association of so-called business patriots, Avanti, has called on parliament to introduce amendments barring individuals designated as foreign agents and their family members from running in elections at all levels, in a bid to prevent the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny from repeating the "Belarusian scenario."
In a letter sent to the speakers of the upper and lower houses of Russia's parliament, Valentina Matvienko and Vyacheslav Volodin, respectively, Avanti President Rahman Yansukov claimed that foreign intelligence has been trying to destabilize the situation in the country and this calls for new legislation so as to avoid the situation that developed in Belarus.
"In connection with the intensification of attempts by Western intelligence services to destabilize the situation in Russia with the involvement of non-systemic opposition, I ask you to consider the possibility of introducing into the legislation of the Russian Federation rules prohibiting individuals recognized as foreign agents, as well as members of their families (close relatives) from nominating themselves and being nominated for elections at all levels � Federal, regional and municipal," Yansukov said in his letter, adding that attempts to "rock the boat" will continue until the September 19 parliamentary election and beyond.
The Chechen business leader said that it was in the parliament's powers to quash increasing foreign powers attempts to meddle in Russia's internal affairs. He cited the participation of foreign diplomats in Russia in recent protests as evidence that they seek forceful regime change in the country.
The letter urged lawmakers to widen the scope of the ban to include the perceived foreign agents' immediate family members.
"In order to reduce to almost zero the risks of foreign interference, more serious measures are required � the introduction of a ban not only for individual foreign agents, but also for their close relatives, their legal spouses, parents, children, adoptive parents, adopted children, brothers and sisters, grandfather, grandmother, grandchildren," the letter emphasizes.
Yansukov said this was needed to prevent the wife of Navalny from repeating the so-called Belarusian scenario, where Svetlana Tikhanovskaya stepped in place of her jailed husband Sergei as a presidential election candidate and became the symbol of the opposition which continues to cause unrest in the country.
"The mass protests in Belarus, which lasted all summer, fall, and still do not subside, albeit on a minimal scale. As you know, a fire is easier to prevent than to extinguish. By preventing the possible participation in the State Duma elections of Yulia Navalny, the wife of foreign agent Alexei Navalny, will prevent the Belarusian scenario and have a positive impact on maintaining the stability of the political system of our country," the letter read.
Yansukov said that the current electoral laws, necessitating a candidate designated as a foreign agent to� reveal his status while campaigning, left loopholes that could be exploited by foreign powers seeking to influence the Russian legislative elections.
